Finding joy and serenity in your journey
A love letter for driven creatives to delight in the everyday, mundane moments
Hey, brandcrafter, how many times have you heard “it’s about the journey, not the destination?”
Probably a million times. It’s a cliche, but like most cliches, there’s truth in it. Let’s explore what the journey really is and how we can slooooow way down to find joy in it.
I’m willing to bet if you’re here, you’re probably driven to do more, and you’re restless in your pursuit. (And maybe you feel a little — or a lot — guilty when you’re not being “productive.” I know I am.)
But in our pursuit for more, how often do we enjoy our process and live in the moment?
(If you’re like me, not often enough. 😬 It just means there’s room for improvement.)
Lately, I’ve been focused less on "trying to cram as much work as possible into the day and more on doing meaningful work more intentionally — and the byproduct of that has been, not surprisingly, joy and serenity.
Here’s how you can also fill your days with more calm and joy.
Psst…if you don’t have time to read the whole newsletter, can you take a sec to scroll down to the bottom and vote in the poll, pretty please?
1. Feel your spark.
As creators, we’re passionate about what we do, and most of us started so we can do what we love (instead of being told what to do).
How much of the work you’re doing is connected with that spark?
How often do you savor these moments?
I, personally, believe the adage “do what you love and you’ll never work another day in your life” to be completely unrealistic and untrue. It sets us up for failure before we ever start and has us thinking we’re doing things “wrong” if we aren’t loving every second. Work is still work, and running a business is hard. But that doesn’t mean it’s not joyful.
If you focus more on the stuff you love that connects you to your purpose (and you slow down to savor them), it’ll help keep that spark alive.
2. Be mindful.
“Mindfulness” has turned into a buzzword, so let’s explore what being mindful looks like practically.
Monotasking and doing one thing at a time so the present task gets your full devotion.
Prioritizing what’s actually important to you and letting go of all the other stuff people say you “should” be doing instead.
Taking regular breaks to scan your mind and body to stay aware of your thoughts and feelings — even sensations in your body, like tension or lightness — as you work. Honor these feelings, and take a break if you need.
Creating “mindful transition rituals” between each task to give your mind time to fully shift to your new task and help you regulate your emotions. This can look like a quick breathing exercise, stretching or other physical movement, getting a cup of tea, or going outside to breathe fresh air and look at nature.
How do you practice mindfulness throughout your day?
3. Embrace curiosity.
It’s hard to be stressed when we’re curious. When I’m exploring new ideas or new ways to do old things, I feel more playful and present.
Here are some ways you can adopt a spirit of curiosity.
Ask “what if” questions like “what if I thought about _[topic]__ like _[new perspective]__?”
Find new methods to doing your work that you haven’t tried yet. Bonus points if you think it won’t work, but you experiment anyway. (You never know!)
Give yourself time for unstructured play time to follow your curiosity and read books + articles or watch videos about things that interest you. Side quests are your friend.
Adopt an “always learning” mindset and learn one new thing every day. Bonus points if it has nothing to do with your zone of genius and you find the connections between what you learn and what you do. (This also helps you become more observant and notice patterns between unlikely things!)
4. Take time to reflect.
There’s no one right way to reflect (no matter what anyone else says). You can journal, create Pinterest boards, make collages, paint, create playlists of songs that remind you how you feel, silently ponder questions, muse aloud to your plants, or anything else that makes sense to you.
But the important part is that you give yourself time and space to slow down, breathe, and connect with yourself and your journey. (This one is all about serenity.)
Here are some prompts you can use and make your own:
What are your favorite aspects of being a creator? How can you prioritize them in your daily practice?
Describe a time when you felt a strong sense of connection or community within your work. How can you foster more of these connections and support networks?
How does your creativity contribute to my overall sense of purpose and fulfillment in life?
What new skills would you like to explore? How can you incorporate learning and experimentation into your journey to keep it fresh and exciting?
What fears or self-limiting beliefs are holding you back from fully enjoying your creative process? How can you challenge and overcome them?
What are some small, simple pleasures you can savor in your daily creative routine to cultivate a sense of joy and presence?
(And because everything in my brain and body is screaming at me to add one more because my “just right” OCD demands it, I’m going to keep it at a very uncomfortable 4. Take that, OCD.)
How are you going to enjoy the process more intentionally?
I’d love to hear from you and any ideas (and questions) you have.
Stay curious and happy branding!
Cat Stickler
PS Did you know Substack has a subscriber chat feature?
These are short posts where you can comment as much or as little as you’d like.
(And they don’t get sent to your email, so they won’t clog up your inbox. It’s all on the Substack app and/or website.)
How I’d like to use it to strengthen our little community here:
mental wellness check-ins + vent threads + tips
talking about the neurospicy experience
growth accountability threads + little challenges
branding and marketing 1-step actions (little brand quests, if you will, which is exactly what I’d call them)
sharing insightful articles, podcasts, and videos
AMAs so you can ask anything about anything (I can’t guarantee I can answer it, but I can try!)
book club?? 🙀